Five climate-change activists arrested in Everett after blockading a BNSF/Tesoro oil train for eight hours. Yesterday's Slog coverage of the protest, including an interview with Abby Brockway, the activist sitting on top of the tripod, is over here. And if you're into this kind of thing, you can donate to the demonstrators' bail funds over here. (Incidentally, many of the participants didn't fit the young, radical demonstrator stereotype. Ahmed Gaya, who was part of the support team yesterday, say those on lockdown included two small business owners, a middle-school teacher, a climate-change analyst, and a retiree.)

Shipping oil by train has increased dramatically in the US since fracking opened up the Alberta tar sands and North Dakota shale oil fields for extraction: One result has been significant delays in trains carrying people and trains carrying agricultural produce—according to the NYT, farmers are suffering millions of dollars of profit loss and even big companies like General Mills have to put up with production slowdowns because oil trumps all. (BNSF, which is owned by Warren Buffet, promised to do better back in March, but recent articles indicate that farmers are still pissed.)

US Confirms the Authenticity of Video Showing Beheading of American Journalist by ISIS/ISIL: "Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people," says the masked executioner. Two weeks ago, Sotloff appeared in a video showing the beheading of another American journalist, James Foley. In this latest video, the masked executioner threatened the life of a third hostage. (And if you're curious about the group's shifting name in the news—ISIS, ISIL, Islamic State, Islamic caliphate—you can study up on those issues at Poynter.)

Police officers killed 104 Americans this August: How many Americans are killed on average by police officers? For some strange reason, nobody knows. You'd think the CDC or Census or somebody would keep track...

Jeff Bezos Ends an Eight-Generation Dynasty at the Washington Post: He's replacing its publisher Katherine Weymouth with Frederick J. Ryan, Jr., a longtime Reagan-era administrator (he rose through the ranks to become a top aide) and founding CEO of Politico.com. Ryan was loyal to his Republican benefactor—he followed Reagan out of office and served as his chief of staff from 1989–1995.

Mars Hill Church Cancels "Vision Breakfast": This will come as no surprise to those who've been following the revenge of the repressed over at Mars Hill in the past few months—from recent discussion and protest about years-old power consolidation moves by Pastor Mark Driscoll to yesterday's demand from a pastor that the church be rebuilt "from the top down" or close its doors. There have also been unconfirmed (as yet) reports that four "elders" have resigned from Mars Hill leadership.

Bad news for the Gulf of Maine: It's heating up faster than the vast majority of the world's other seas, indicating a future Maine without lobster and "Cape Cod without cod."

Good news for the West Coast: Rockfish, flounder, and other bottom fish seem to be making a dramatic recovery after severe overfishing.

Turkish cop gets eight years for shooting Gezi demonstrator in the head: "Angry scenes erupted as protesters shouted 'murderer state' following the sentence of seven years and nine months being announced, an AFP reporter in Ankara said. The trial was being seen as a test of the authorities' willingness to prosecute police brutality, correspondents say. A wave of demonstrations and civil unrest began in Turkey on 28 May 2013, initially to contest plans for the redevelopment of Istanbul's Taksim Gezi Park."

Nineteen Arrests in Hong Kong's Occupy Protests: "The demonstration was organized by a group called Occupy Central after the Chinese government rejected demands for Hong Kong to freely choose its next leader in 2017. Under the new rules, Hong Kong voters will be allowed to choose the territory’s own chief executive, but all candidates must first be approved by a nominating panel. Activists fear the nominating panel will be controlled by pro-Beijing loyalists who will prevent opposition candidates from running. Protesters with Occupy Central are threatening to hold more demonstrations including a blockade of city’s central business district."

Etymology of the day—riot:

c.1200, "debauchery, extravagance, wanton living," from Old French riote (12c.) "dispute, quarrel, (tedious) talk, chattering, argument, domestic strife," also a euphemism for "sexual intercourse," of uncertain origin. Compare Medieval Latin riota "quarrel, dispute, uproar, riot." Perhaps from Latin rugire "to roar." Meaning "public disturbance" is first recorded late 14c. Meaning "something spectacularly successful" first recorded 1909 in theater slang.

Run riot is first recorded 1520s, a metaphoric extension from Middle English meaning in reference to hounds following the wrong scent. The Riot Act, part of which must be read to a mob before active measures can be taken, was passed 1714 (1 Geo. I, st.2, c.5). Riot girl and alternative form riot grrl first recorded 1992.